Closure for coin-receiving



March 6, 1945. l W VGN STOESER L2,371,114

CLOSURE FOR COIN-RECEIVING RECEPTACLES Filed Oct. 5, 1942 ylllllllllllllnl'llll Patented Mar. 6, 1945 CLOSURE FOR GOIN-RECEIVING RECEPTACLES Walter Von Stoeser, Kenmore, N. Y., assigner to rIfhe Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, North Tonawanda, N. Y., a corporation of Ohio Application October 5, 1942, Serial No. 460,738

7 Claims'.

This invention relates generally toreceptacles orcontainers for the deposit of coins, tokens and the like, and more particularly to a tamper prooi, apertured closure for such receptacles adapted to be locked thereto when in use.

` One of the objects of the invention is to provide a closure of this character which is so deresponding parts throughout the several views.

signed and constructed as to automatically seal or cover the receiving aperture thereof when the same together with its attached and locked receptacle, is removed. from a vending machine, or other device on which it is detachably mounted for use, for the purpose of being bodily transported in a sealed and undisturbed condition to a given place for the removal and checking of its contents.

Another object is to provide a closure which is adapted to be locked to the receptacle when in use and which is provided with an automaticallygoverned mechanism for controlling the coinreceiving aperture of the closure in such a manner that when the receptacle, together with its locked closure, is supportedon a vending machine or the like, such mechanism is `automatically set in a predetermined position short of an aperture-closing position, and when the receptacle together with its locked closure is removed from a use position for emptying and checking the received contents, such mechanism automatically operates to close or seal such aperture to prevent unauthorized removal or pilfering of the receptacle-contents until the closure has been unlocked from the receptacle by an authorized person Whose duty it is to count and check the contents of such receptacle. A further object of the invention is to provide an aperture controlling mechanism for devices of this character which is simple, compact and inexpensive in construction, which is reliable and positive in operation, and which can be readily reset for operative use after proper collection of the coins or like articles in the receptacle has been effected.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the receptacle, closure therefor, and associated parts embodying my invention.` Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal section on the planes through the broken line 2 2, showing the aperture-controlling mechanism in its normal open position when the receptacle is installed on a vending machine or the like. Figure-3 is a similar view but showing the aperture-controlling mechanism in an apertureclosing position, and the supporting frame and anges omitted. Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the depressible actuating mem- In the automatic vending machine business collectors are employed to .remove from time to time the deposits of coins received from such machines and it has been deemed desirable to keep the contents of the coin-receiving containers or receptacles intact until transported toa place where the contents would be removed and counted, assuring the owners of such machines the receiptof their full prots and removing as well any temptations on the part of the collector. In use, my invention accomplishes these purposes by providing coin receptacles having locked pilfer-proof closures, and which receptacles toget-her with their closures are interchangeable,

so that when a lled receptacle is removed from A a vending machine, an empty one is mounted in its place, and after removal of the receptacle its contents are effectually sealed and held intact until opened by an authorized person.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing, HJ indicates the coin container or receptacle which may be in the form oi a metallic box or which may be in the form of a bag or the like, and II indicates a removable cover or closure which when in use is adapted to be locked in place on the receptacle, a key-operated lock l2 being employed for this purpose. The receptacle and its closure are adapted to be mounted as a unit in operative relation to the vending machine, and by way of example, a supporting frame I3 is provided onto which the receptacle is adapted to be laterally slid into place, the frame being provided at its upper end with guide tracks I4 and the closure II being provided at its opposite sides with lateral anges I5 which slidingly engage such tracks. Spring-pressed latches I6 are applied to the frame and serve to detachably retain the receptacle in place on the frame. The top wall of the closure II is provided with a coin-receiving slot or aperture Il, which, when the device is operatively connected with a vending machine or the like, is adapted to register with the discharge chute I8 of the coin device. To insure such proper 'registration the lower end of the discharge chute may be provided with a marginal ange I9 and the top side of the closure provided with a mating gauge or horizontally-grooved portion 2l! for receiving such iiange when the receptacle andits closure are mounted in place on the frame I3.

The closure I I is preferably provided with a depending rim to provide a chamber or compartment Within which the mechanism for controlling cates a horizontally swinging gate or closing' member which is mounted on the underside of the top wall of the closure to assume a position at one side of the aperture to uncover it for receiving deposits or to a position underlying the same to close and seal the receptacle-contents against removal. A spring 22 connected to 'this gate serves to normally urge it to its apertureclosing position. By way of example, this gate is shown as fulcrumed on the casing or body of the lock I2. At its fulcruming end this gate has a depending lug 23 thereon, while the Aouter or free end thereof has a similar depending lug 24. In its inner or hub portion this gate also has a notch 25 with which a latching pawl 25 is adapted to engage in the aperture-closing position of the gate, a spring 21 being associated withthis pawl to urge it into its latching position. Pivoted at 28 to the underside of the closure in correlation with the free end of the gate 2| is a bell crank shaped la'tching lever 29, the short arm 39 thereof constituting a pawl which is adapted to latch behind the gate-lug 24 in the fully opened position of the gate, a spring 29a being connected to its lever to constantly urge it to a latching position. Also pivoted to the underside of this closure at 3|, in opposing relation to the lever 29, is a bell crank shaped positioning lever 32, the arm 33 of which is disposed in correlation with the gate-lug 23 for movement into and out of the path of movement thereof to prevent swinging of the gate to its fully closed position. A spring 34 is connected to this lever for normally urging its arm to a position clear of the path of travel of the gate-lug 23. The other arms 35 and 36 of the companion levers 29 and 32 are disposed in opposing relation and substantially centrally of the closure and adjacent the rear side thereof these arms are jointly connected to a depressible control button or member 31.

This control button is guided on and extends through the rear wall of the closure terminating externally of the latter in an actuating head 38 which is adapted to abut against an alining stud or projection 39 applied to the receptacle-supporting frame I3, so that when the receptacle with its locked closure is installed for use on the frame the control button encounters the stud, resulting in the automatic depression of the former to set the levers 29 and 32 in their respective positions, shown by full lines in Figure 2, with the latching pawl 3B released and the lever-arm 33 in the path of the gate-lug 23 to prevent movement of the gate 2| to its apertureclosing position. When the receptacle is removed 35. By this construction, assuming the parts to be in the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, wherein the gate is latched by the pawl 30 in its fully open position preparatory to installing the receptacle in operative relation with a vending machine, when the button 31 is decauses the companion lever 29 to be rocked in a from the suporting frame, the button is auto- -v matically retracted, the lever-arm 33 is removed from blocking relation with the gate-lug 23, and the gate 2| is urged by its spring 22 to its aperture-closing position and held in that position by the latching pawl 2S. In effecting these controlling movements in response to the button 31 being moved into and out of operative engagement with the stud 39 as a result of applying the receptacle to and removing it from its supporting frame, the levers 29 and 32 are moved in predetermined sequence, and forthis purpose the arm 36 of the lever 32 has a pivot pin 43 extending through its free end which is connected to the bifurcated inner portion of the control button and extends through a transverse slot 4| in the opposing end of the companion lever-arm direction to release its pawl-like arm 3|) from the adjoining gate-lug24, releasing the gate 2| to be swung by its spring 22 to a position short ,of its aperture-closing position, being arrested and retained in such position by its lug 23 abutting the lever-arm 33, as shown by full lines in Figure 2. With the parts in this position, the receptacle is in its fully mounted operative position with the latches I6 engaged over its front side.

When the receptacle is removed from its supporting frame for transport to a place for opening it to check its contents, the control button is automatically shifted to its retracted position by the spring 34 and the lever 32 is rocked in a direction to remove its arm 33 clear of the gatelug 23, whereupon the gate is urged by its spring 22 to its aperture-closed position, in which position it is latched by the pawl 25, as shown in Figure 3. After the closure is unlocked and the receptacle-contents counted, the former is replaced and locked on the receptacle, but before doing so the pawl 26 is released and the gate 2| swung manually into latched engagement with the lever-arm 30.

In order to insure that the receptacle |0 with its closure is properly suspended in correlation with the coin discharge chute I8 of the vending machine so that the aperture I1 is accurately alined with such chute, I have provided the mating complementary suspension members |9 and 20. Also applied to the closure-bearing member 20 is an upright abutment 42 and pivoted on the coin chute for engagement at its lower end with such abutment is a verticallyswinging lever 43 Whose. upper end is coupled to a second lever 44 having a nose 45 thereon projectable through and across the passage v4|.; of the coin chute. A spring 41 connected to the lever 43 normally urges it in a direction to swing the nose of the companion lever 44 across the coin passage to obstruct it. By this construction, when the receptacle is properly suspended and alined with the coin chute, the lever 43 engages the abutment 42 and is accordingly rocked by it in a direction to swing the connected lever 44 to a position to retract its nose 45 from the coin passage, so as not to interfere with the coins traveling into the receptacle. On the other hand, should the receptacle not be properly positioned and alined with the coin chute, the lever 43 will not be rocked and the second lever 44 will therefore remain in its normal position with its nose across the coin passage to obstruct the travel of coins from the coin chute.

I claim as my invention: i

l. A closure for coin-receiving receptacles and the like, comprising a body having a coin-receiving aperture therein, a. gate mounted on said body for movement to and from an apertureclosing position, means operatively engageable .gageable with said with said gate for releasably latching it in its aperture-opened position, a spring vconnected to said gate for normally urging'it to its apertureclosing position, a second means operatively engate for releasably latching it in its spring-urged closing position, and means mounted on said body and operatively connected to the first-named gate-latching means for governing the movements of the gate to an apertureclosing position.

2. A closure for coin-receiving receptaclesand the like, comprising a body having a coin-receiving aperture therein, a gate mounted on said body for movement to and from an aperture-closing position, means operatively engageable with said gate for releasably latching it in its aperture-opened position, -a spring connected to said gate for normally urging it to its aperture-closing position,V a second means operatively engageable with said gate for releasably latching it in itsl spring-urged closing position, a third means operatively engageable with said gate for limiting its movement short `of -a closing position when released by the rst-named latching means, and shiftable means projecting externally from said body and operatively connected to said first and third gate-controlling means for actuating them to their respective gate-releasing and gate-limiting positions when shifted in one direction and for actuating said gate-limiting means to a released position when shifted in the reverse direction to'render said spring operative to urge the gate to its aperture-closing position in engagement with said second latching means.

3. A closure for coin-receiving receptacles and the like, comprising a body-having a coin-receiving aperture therein, a gate mounted on said body for movement to and from an aperture-closing position, interconnected means in operative correlation with said gate for releasably latching it in its aperture-opened position and for governing its movement to a limiting position short of its aperture-closing position `and to its aperture-closing position, a spring connected to said gate for urging it to an aperture-closing positiony and means mounted on said body and operatively connected to said interconnected means for governing the unlatching and limit-positioning of the gate when moved in one direction and for causing the release of the gate to an aperture-closing position when moved in another direction.

4. In a device of the character described, a closure trom which a coin receptacle or the like is adapted to be suspended and locked and which is adapted to be removably mounted on a support, said closure having an aperture therein for introducing coins or the like thereto, a gate mounted on the underside of said closure for movement to and from an aperture-closing position, means operatively engageable with said gate for releasably latching it in its aperture-opened position and for governing the positioning of the gate short of its aperture-closing position, a spring connected to the gate for normally 'urging it toits aperture-closing position, and shiftable means applied to said closure for abutting engagement at one end with said support and in operativegoverning engagement at its other end with said gate-latching and positioning means, said shiftable means when moved in one direction by abutting contact with said support automatically causing the release of the gate to its position short of closing the closure-aperture, and when moved in the opposite direction .upon removal of the closure from its support automatically causing the release of the gate to its spring-urged aperture-closing position.

. 5. In a device of the character described, a closure from which a coin receptacle or the like is adapted to be suspended and locked and which is adapted to be removably mounted on a support, said closure having an aperture therein for introducing coins or the like thereto, a gate mounted on the underside of said closure for movement to and from an aperture-closing position, a spring connectedV to said gate for normally urging it to an aperture-closing position, a latching lever movable toand from latching engagement with said gate for releasably retaining it in an apertureiopened position, a gate-positioning lever movable to and from a position for limiting the movement of the gate short of an aperture-closing position When said latching lever is released, and a depressible member projecting from the closure for abutting contact with its support and jointly connected to said latching lever and said gate-positioning lever for governing the movements of the same to their gate-releasing and gate-limiting positions, respectively, when such member is moved in one direction, and for governing the movement of the gate-positioning lever out of its limiting position when such member is moved in the opposite direction to permit the gate to be automatically moved to its aperture-closing position.

6. A closure for coin-receiving receptacles and the like, comprising a body having a coin-receiving aperture therein, a gate mounted on the underside of said body for movement to and from an aperture-closing position, a spring connected to said gate for normally urging it to an apertureclosing position, a latching lever for releasably latching the gate in an aperture-opened position, a positioning lever movable to and from a position for limiting the movement of the gate short of an aperture-closing position when said latching lever is released, and a depressible member mounted on said closure for actuation externally thereof and jointly connected to said latching lever and said positioning lever, the latter having a spring connected thereto for normally urging it and said depressible member to predetermined positions.

7. A closure for coin-receiving receptacles and the like, comprising a body having a coin-receiving aperture therein, a gate mounted on the underside of said body for movement to and from an aperture-closing position, a spring connected to said gate for normally urging it to an apertureclosing position, a latching lever for releasably latching the gate in an aperture-opened position, a positioning lever movable to and from a position for limiting the movement of the gate short of an aperture-closing position lwhen said latching lever is released, said levers including arms disposed in opposing relation and one of the arms havin-g a slot therein, a depressible member mounted on said closure having an actuating'head at one end disposed externally of the closure and a coupling pin at its opposite end pivotally engaging the arm of one of said levers and the slot of the companion lever, and springs connected to each of said levers for urging the one toits latching position and the other from its position for limiting the movement of the gate short of an apertureclosing position, said springs through said levers jointly urging the depressible member to a normally-retracted position. f

WALTER VON STOESER.' 

